Encrypt USB Drives

Martin Brinkmann
Sep 9, 2008
Updated • Aug 20, 2013
Encryption, Software
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Putting an encrypted partition on an USB drive can be a great way to enhance the safety of data. Several software developers have created solutions to encrypt USB drives. True Crypt for example is a very popular disk encryption tool that can create partitions on USB drives.

Rohos Mini Drive was specifically designed with USB drive encryption and ease of use in mind. It uses the 256-bit AES encryption algorithm and can create encrypted partitions with a maximum size of 1 Gigabyte. The program does not require installation and can be run right of the USB drive.

So how does this work? The user executes the Rohos Mini Drive software which will automatically detect usb drives that are connected to the computer. One usb drive will be selected automatically but you can change that to another one if multiple drives are connected to the computer.

You then specify a password that will be used to decrypt and encrypt the data on the partition of the usb drive.

This procedure is not that different from encrypting an USB drive with True Crypt. Rohos Mini Drive however comes with a feature that makes it possible to access the data without administration rights. The software comes with another program called Rohos Mini Drive which is a simple disk browser. This tool can be used to browse the contents of the encrypted usb drive without admin rights.

Rohos Mini Drive comes with two additional interesting features. The first is a virtual keyboard which can be used to defeat many software keyloggers on a computer while the second is an autostart folder to start applications immediately after connection.

The program is ideal for USB Flash Drives as you can put it on the drive along with the encrypted data set. This way you can start it whenever you connect the drive to a PC without the need for software on that PC.

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Comments

  1. Paul said on December 18, 2008 at 1:09 pm
    Reply

    Not a bad little programme, but you can’t transfer directories into the encrypted partition, nor can you create directories! So this means all your files will be floating about together. Sadly, that kills it for me

  2. MicheL said on October 23, 2008 at 6:27 pm
    Reply

    Well, according to ERIC, this program is everything but dzeable !

  3. Domdom said on September 10, 2008 at 3:38 pm
    Reply

    I tried decrypting the key using the software on the key without being admin: it doesnt work on 2 of my corporate PC :-( too bad … I will inquiry on the ROHOS forum …

  4. Martin said on September 9, 2008 at 2:54 pm
    Reply

    Zanza it can be started right from the stick.

  5. Zanza said on September 9, 2008 at 2:33 pm
    Reply

    so the software has to be started from the pc to access the usb-drive?
    i think with truecrypt its possible to start it directly from the usb-drive.

  6. KallAngo® said on September 9, 2008 at 1:19 pm
    Reply

    Very interesting this software. Thank you…

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